The necessity to reduce greenhouse gases and thus mitigate climate change is accepted worldwide. Especially in low- and middle-income countries, waste management causes a great part of the national greenhouse gas production, because landfills produce methane which has a particularly strong effect on climate change. Therefore, it is essential to minimize emissions in waste management programs of German development cooperation.

In order to determinate how many emissions can be saved in waste management, the KfW Development Bank and GTZ in collaboration with the IFEU-Institute (Institute for energy and environmental research, Heidelberg) have developed a simple Excel-Tool: the Greenhouse Gas Calculator. With this tool, emissions from waste management in a city or country can be calculated. The tool offers the opportunity to estimate the current GHG emissions and the emissions in different scenarios. In this way, it helps to assess the impact of different waste management options such as landfill gas collection, recycling, composting, and others.

The GHG calculator has been tested and is now used on a broader scale.

Further information, a calculator blank and the manual can be accessed at the GTZ website.